Looking for a privacy hedge? Panama Rose can be a great option to grow as a privacy hedge. Panama Rose is also known as Bush Penta. I have been growing and caring for Panama Rose for a long time and in this article, I will tell you everything you need to know to grow Panama Rose as your hedge plant.
There are a lot of bush plants you can grow as a hedge plant but Panama Rose will be the winner to me for various reasons:
- Panama Rose is a flowering bush.
- It smells nice and sweet in the evening/afternoon. ( For this particular reason it is often known as fragrant Rondeletia)
- Really easy to maintain.
- Can be grown in partial shade as well.
- Fast growing.
- Usually Pest Resistant.
The most common color of Panama Rose is pink but there are a few other colors you can find like orange, and red.
I was walking in an eco-park and the Panama Rose hedge attracted me.
Ideal Growing Conditions for Panama Rose
They can grow well in full sun to partial shade.
Partial shade means morning sun and afternoon sun or you can say 4 hours of direct sunlight would be enough for Panama Rose.
Ideal USDA growing zone:
Zone 9 to Zone 11. They are usually found in warmer climates (tropical to subtropical).
This is why they perform well in South Florida.
If you are from Zone 9, you can have a look at this article: Fast Growing Hedges for Privacy - Zone 9
Soil and watering
Make sure the soil is well draining. Sandy soil with organic matter is a perfect soil for Panama Rose.
Soil and watering can be considered together while planting it. Panama Rose loves moist soil but can not tolerate waterlogging. Heavy soil can hold too much water and as a result, the leaves can turn yellow.
Why do I prefer Panama Rose as a perfect hedge plant?
Hedge plants or privacy hedge plants need to have the following features:
- Dense Foliage - It will act like a privacy screen.
- Fast Growth - To make the bush a hedge in a short time.
- Evergreen Nature - This is the most important. In winter, if the leaves fall off, it will not be called a hedge anymore.
Panama Rose has all of the above-mentioned features. Not only that, Panama Rose is really good at noise reduction. They are fast grower, evergreen, flowering, dense, and prune tolerant.
When to Prune Panama Rose?
Do you like the pink flowers? If yes, then prune after the first blooming season. It will help the plant to grow bushier.
It starts blooming in December. The blooming season will last until early summer. Consider summer as the best pruning time. ( This is Panama Rose's active growing season )
You can use hand pruners for light pruning and loppers for medium pruning. (approx. 1.5 inches)
For woody stems, I would recommend: Pruning Saw.
Don't forget to wear gloves while pruning.
With proper care, Panama Rose can grow up to 9 feet tall. By pruning, I love to keep it 5 feet tall. ( My neighbors are not that bad)
Propagation
You can grow Panama Rose from seeds, but I am not going to recommend that.
The reason: we can propagate Panama Rose easily from cuttings.
Take 5 to 6 inches cuttings. Remove a few lower leaves and plant in moist sandy soil.
It can take up to 2 weeks to grow the new roots.
Tip: You can directly place the cuttings where you want to grow it. If you wish you can grow root in containers and then plant it in the ground.
You can spray water in the evening to make the leaves healthier and greenish just like what I do. Check the below picture:
Currently, I am working on a few other hedge plants and will soon publish them one by one.
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